MELANIN BASE CAMP

As a kid, I loved roller skating and occasionally ventured onto the ice rink at the mall during the winter. Back then, fear wasn’t even a consideration. If I fell, I simply brushed it off and kept going. So why does stepping out of our comfort zones feel so much harder as adults?

Congratulations. You’re taking advantage of cheaper rent by moving into a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. 

Yes, you’re part of the problem. But it’s also all you can afford at the moment. You’re a reluctant gentrifier, actively causing harm but also feeling kinda bad about it. Short of going back to the Midwest or to an overpriced apartment in a different part of town…here are six things you can do to be a better community member now.

Jenny recalled. “We spent so much time together in the car, talking for hours. It was a great way to connect.” Damon agreed, adding, “Outdoor trips gave us a chance to bond in ways that everyday life doesn’t always allow.”

We don’t need cash, we have credit cards and bank accounts, smart phones and mobile payment apps. We don’t need spare change, we aren’t unhoused. So if its not a problem for us, cash free establishments can’t be a problem for anyone else, right?

But ask a New England surfer about the changing seasons. It’s more likely they’ll mark this same passage of time by the thickness of their neoprene wetsuit. They surf year-round, making the most of the sometimes harsh and unforgiving winters. New England surfers simply add millimeters of neoprene the way hikers add base layers. For a lifelong Californian born and raised in “sunny San Diego,” my first winter in Rhode Island was eye opening. 

These six athletes of color are removing barriers to winter sports, like snowboarding, skiing, backpacking and alpine climbing. Here’s how:

This fall, I planned a trip to Hueco for a friend’s first outdoor climbing trip. We were all very excited. We drove to the park and at the ranger station, there was a sign out front- “NO CLIMBING TODAY.” We were devastated.

So, what were going to do?? Luckily I remembered, 8 years earlier that I climbed a cool cave in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I told everyone, No need to despair, onto Las Cruces we go!

A former Team USA figure skater and U.S. Nationals Gold Medalist, Angelina Huang first stepped onto the ice at just six years old. By 11, she was training professionally at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, and by 12, she had landed her first double axel. There was something special about life in the rink that touched her soul, lifted her spirits, and inspired to dream big. 

This year, try embracing small changes and sustainable habits that are not only good for your health but also bring joy and fulfillment, without the hefty price tag.